At the Pharmacy on a Trip
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November 9, 2026
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If you feel unwell or have a minor accident while traveling in Italy, your first stop is usually a farmacia, where a pharmacist can give advice and sell most everyday remedies over the counter.
- Explain what is wrong: say where it hurts and describe common problems like a fever, a cold, a stomach ache, sunburn, or an insect bite.
- Ask for what you need: polite phrases with formal Lei to ask for a remedy and tell the pharmacist how long you have had your symptoms.
- Understand the advice: follow simple instructions on how and when to take a medicine, and know when you need a prescription or a doctor.
Voca cards
1.
la farmacia
pharmacy, drugstore
Scusi, sa dov'è una farmacia aperta qui vicino?
Excuse me, do you know where there's an open pharmacy nearby?
Look for the green cross sign on the street; when it is lit up, the pharmacy is open.
2.
non sentirsi bene
not to feel well
Buongiorno, non mi sento bene da ieri sera.
Good morning, I haven't been feeling well since last night.
3.
Mi fa male…
My … hurts.
Mi fa male il piede quando cammino.
My foot hurts when I walk.
Use 'Mi fa male' for one body part ('Mi fa male la schiena') and 'Mi fanno male' for two or more ('Mi fanno male i piedi').
4.
il mal di testa
headache
Ho un forte mal di testa da stamattina.
I've had a bad headache since this morning.
After 'avere', drop the article ('Ho mal di testa') unless you add an adjective ('Ho un forte mal di testa').
5.
il mal di gola
sore throat
Ho mal di gola quando bevo qualcosa di freddo.
I have a sore throat when I drink something cold.
6.
il mal di stomaco
stomachache, upset stomach
Forse ho mangiato troppo ieri sera e adesso ho mal di stomaco.
Maybe I ate too much last night, and now I have a stomachache.
7.
la febbre
fever
Mi sento molto stanco e penso di avere la febbre.
I feel very tired, and I think I have a fever.
Italians say 'avere la febbre' ('to have a fever'), keeping the article 'la'.
8.
il raffreddore
cold
Ho preso un brutto raffreddore in aereo.
I caught a bad cold on the plane.
9.
la tosse
cough
Ho la tosse e stanotte non ho dormito niente.
I have a cough and didn't sleep at all last night.
10.
Da quanto tempo…?
How long…?
Da quanto tempo ha questi sintomi?
How long have you had these symptoms?
Italian uses the present tense with 'da' for something that started in the past and is still going on: 'Da ieri' ('Since yesterday'), 'Da due giorni' ('For two days').
11.
Ha qualcosa per…?
Do you have anything for…?
Ha qualcosa per il mal di gola?
Do you have anything for a sore throat?
Uses the polite 'Lei' form ('Ha'), which customer and pharmacist both use with each other.
12.
la scottatura
sunburn, burn
Sono stato troppo al sole ieri e ho una brutta scottatura sulle spalle.
I was in the sun too long yesterday and I have a bad sunburn on my shoulders.
13.
la puntura d'insetto
insect bite, bug bite
Guardi qui sul braccio: secondo Lei è una puntura d'insetto?
Look here on my arm: do you think it's an insect bite?
14.
il cerotto
bandage, Band-Aid
Mi sono tagliato un dito, mi dà anche una scatola di cerotti?
I cut my finger. Could you also give me a box of Band-Aids?
15.
la crema
cream
Metta un po' di questa crema due volte al giorno, mattina e sera.
Apply a little of this cream twice a day, morning and evening.
'Metta' is the polite 'Lei' form used to give instructions ('put on' or 'apply').
16.
la compressa
tablet, pill
Prenda una compressa con un bicchiere d'acqua ogni otto ore.
Take one tablet with a glass of water every eight hours.
'Prenda' is the polite 'Lei' form of 'prendere' ('to take').
17.
dopo i pasti
after meals
È meglio prendere questa medicina dopo i pasti, a stomaco pieno.
It's best to take this medicine after meals, on a full stomach.
18.
allergico
allergic
Prima di darle questo, mi dica: è allergico a qualche farmaco?
Before I give you this, tell me: are you allergic to any medications?
Ends in '-o' for a man and '-a' for a woman ('È allergica?').
19.
la ricetta
prescription
Mi dispiace, ma per l'antibiotico serve la ricetta.
I'm sorry, but you need a prescription for the antibiotic.
'La ricetta' means both a cooking recipe and a doctor's prescription.
20.
il medico
doctor
Se domani la febbre non scende, è meglio andare dal medico.
If the fever doesn't go down tomorrow, it's best to see a doctor.
In tourist towns, the pharmacist can also direct you to the 'guardia medica turistica', a local doctor service for visitors.